was a Japanese

serial killer A serial killer (also called a serial murderer) is a person who murders three or more people,An offender can be anyone: * * * * * (This source only requires two people) with the killings taking place over a significant period of time in separat ...

who was

sentenced to death Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty and formerly called judicial homicide, is the state-sanctioned killing of a person as punishment for actual or supposed misconduct. The sentence ordering that an offender be punished in s ...

for the murders of three men, including her husband, and for the attempted murder of a fourth.Japan's 'Black Widow' sentenced to death for murdering a string of lovers
by

Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse (; AFP) is a French international news agency headquartered in Paris, France. Founded in 1835 as Havas, it is the world's oldest news agency. With 2,400 employees of 100 nationalities, AFP has an editorial presence in 260 c ...

, via ''

the Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...

''; published November 7, 2017; retrieved November 11, 2017 She was also suspected of being responsible for at least seven other deaths.Japan's 'Black Widow' Gets Death by Hanging for Murdering Her Lovers
by Drew Schwartz, at ''

Vice A vice is a practice, behaviour, Habit (psychology), habit or item generally considered morally wrong in the associated society. In more minor usage, vice can refer to a fault, a negative character trait, a defect, an infirmity, or a bad or unhe ...

''; published November 7, 2017; retrieved November 11, 2017 Kakehi was arrested in 2014, after an

autopsy An autopsy (also referred to as post-mortem examination, obduction, necropsy, or autopsia cadaverum) is a surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse by dissection to determine the cause, mode, and manner of deat ...

on her fourth husband, Isao Kakehi,Killer Wives: 8 Most Infamous Black Widow Murderers: Chisako Kakehi
by Melissa Locker, in ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...

''; published August 25, 2016; retrieved November 11, 2017 revealed traces of

cyanide poisoning Cyanide poisoning is poisoning that results from exposure to any of a number of forms of cyanide. Early symptoms include headache, dizziness, fast heart rate, shortness of breath, and vomiting. This phase may then be followed by seizures, slo ...

.Japan woman arrested for 'poisoning husband with cyanide'
at BBC.com; published November 20, 2014; retrieved November 11, 2017 She initially pleaded not guilty, but during her 2017 trial, confessed, stating on the witness stand that she had no intention of hiding her guilt and wanted to kill her husband out of deep hatred;Japan’s ‘Black Widow’ given death penalty for murders
by Megan Palin, at

news.com.au News.com.au (stylised in all lowercase) is an Australian website owned by News Corp Australia. It had 9.6 million unique readers in April 2019 and covers national and international news, lifestyle, travel, entertainment, technology, finance an ...

; published November 7, 2017; retrieved November 11, 2017 two days later, she retracted this confession, claiming to not remember having said it.Japan 'Black Widow' confesses to killing husband No 4, then backtracks
, at ChannelNewsAsia; published July 12, 2017; retrieved November 11, 2017 Her lawyers subsequently argued that she suffered from

dementia Dementia is a syndrome associated with many neurodegenerative diseases, characterized by a general decline in cognitive abilities that affects a person's ability to perform activities of daily living, everyday activities. This typically invo ...

Japan’s ‘black widow’ serial killer gets death sentence
at ''

the Japan Times ''The Japan Times'' is Japan's largest and oldest English-language daily newspaper. It is published by , a subsidiary of News2u Holdings, Inc. It is headquartered in the in Kioicho, Chiyoda, Tokyo. History ''The Japan Times'' was launched by ...

''; published November 7, 2017; retrieved November 11, 2017 and could not be convicted due to

diminished responsibility In criminal law, diminished responsibility (or diminished capacity) is a potential defense by excuse by which defendants argue that although they broke the law, they should not be held fully criminally liable for doing so, as their mental funct ...

. In June 2021, the

Supreme Court of Japan The , located in Hayabusachō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, is the highest court in Japan. It has ultimate judicial authority to interpret the Japanese constitution and decide questions of national law. It has the power of judicial review, which allows it ...

rejected her final appeal.Black Widow: Japanese serial killer loses death sentence appeal
at BBC.com; published June 29, 2021; retrieved July 1, 2021 One of the judges explained the decision based on Chisako's "ruthless crime(s) based on a planned and strong murderous intention." Kakehi was imprisoned in a facility in

Osaka is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the List of cities in Japan, third-most populous city in J ...

. After being found unresponsive by prison staff on the morning of December 26, 2024, she was transported to hospital, where she died later the same day. She was 78.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kakehi, Chisako 1946 births 2024 deaths Japanese female serial killers Japanese people convicted of murder Japanese prisoners sentenced to death Mariticides People convicted of murder by Japan Poisoners Prisoners sentenced to death by Japan Violence against men in Asia Women sentenced to death People from Kitakyushu 21st-century Japanese criminals Japanese people who died in prison custody